Teens: Teen Blog

Tips and Tricks for the Studious Teen

Studying Season is Upon Us!

     Back to school means back to studying, and if you are anything like me, studying is not exactly your favorite thing in the world to do. There are many different ways to study and finding a way that works best for you may be harder than you think. It takes time to really understand your own personal learning style and use that to your advantage. So, if you haven't found your own style of studying yet, you are not alone! Below are some potential tips and tricks to help you in your learning endeavors. These are just some ideas to get you started, but there are certainly others out there to try as well. 

• Figure out what your learning style is. Are you a visual learner, or an audial learn? Do you need to read books to learn new concepts, or do you need to see them demonstrated? Do you prefer having someone explain the information to you in a conversational format, or do you prefer seeing things through video demonstrations on platforms like YouTube? Knowing which of these is the way you prefer to learn will help you figure out what style of studying works for you. Whether it is sitting in your bedroom reading the textbooks and taking notes, or studying with a friend and quizzing each other to learn the material, this will help get you started with studying. 
• Make sure to remove distractions. This may seem like an obvious thing, but there are many things that can be distracting to people. It isn't just your phone or your computer that can be distracting. Say you are sitting in your room studying with the window open. A guy comes out and starts mowing the lawn next door and two houses down, a large group of children is playing in the yard, squealing and shrieking. These noises may not seem like much but the more you try to concentrate on your work, the louder those noises seem to become. Just knowing what may distract you will help you stay more focused if you stop them before they start. 
• Use sound, or lack thereof, to your advantage. If sound is one of your distractions, then purchasing some earplugs to wear during studying will help you block out those unwanted noises. However, if you need some form of noise to help you study, then having something soft playing in the background like low classical music, or a white noise machine that plays nature sounds, may help you focus better. I would suggest also purchasing some good headphones or earbuds to help block out the additional background noises. 
• Be sure and take breaks! One of the worst things to do is spend hours studying without taking those necessary mental breaks we all need. Whether you are staring at a computer screen, or you are staring at books, you need to allow yourself time to breathe away from the learning. Take at least a 5-minute break for every hour that you are studying, preferably a 10-minute. This gives you time to go to the bathroom, stretch your legs, grab a snack, whatever it is you need to do to get back into that focused mode. Don't overdue the studying and wear your brain out!
• Don't be too hard on yourself. This is the thing most of us have a hard time with. It is easy to get so focused on studying and learning everything we possibly can, that we end up forgetting things, or giving ourselves a brain overload that affects us when we need that knowledge most. Studying the right way is important and so is your mental health. Don't push yourself too hard so that you end up failing due to stress. Take your time to learn what you can and allow yourself the chance to breathe. 

     These are just some tips and tricks, but there are so many out there that may be useful to you. One thing that can help you in finding material is NC Live, which is an electronic resource you have access to with your library card! Whether you are looking for articles, books, or just want to know where to get started, head over to the "Books and More" tab on our website and click the NC Live link to get started finding your materials. 

     I hope these help get you started! Good luck and good studying!